Medical Laboratory Scientist Program (MLSP)

Career Description

If you're interested in health care, laboratory work, producing and using scientific data, analytical problem solving, then Medical Laboratory Science may be the career for you.

The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine offers a bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences through an affiliation with Allen College in Waterloo, Iowa. The program provides patient-centered educational opportunities, with theoretical knowledge and practical experience in hematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology, immunohematology, immunology, endocrinology and molecular diagnostics. Students can enroll in the program as the final year of a bachelor’s degree or as an additional year following receipt of a bachelor’s degree.

Features of the Program

a broad education that prepares students for many professional options

individualized help and attention

laboratories where students put course material into practice

hands-on experience with patient samples and the latest technology

clinical experiences in the laboratories of The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and The Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center

the experts, technology, and learning environment of two of the world's largest academic medical centers

Applying to the Program

Students should apply to the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at Allen College. The first review application deadline is October 1. The second review application deadline is February 1. Students will then be admitted on a monthly basis if there is still availability. Please contact Allen College for specific information as to prerequisite coursework and financial aid available.

Successful program participants also possess the following personal abilities

strong communication skills

sound judgment

professional integrity

manual dexterity

attention to detail

capacity to work independently and as a team member

The Clinical Year

Students seeking entry into the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program should take three or more years of prerequisite coursework at the University of Iowa or another college. Following application in December of the junior year, accepted students start the clinical year in late August following the junior year at which this students will complete coursework via web-based, streaming-video lectures from Allen College faculty. Clinical rotations will begin in late November at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The program emphasizes laboratory principles and procedures, clinical significance and application, principles and practice of quality assurance, principles of laboratory management and supervision, safety, instructional methods, and computer applications.

Students complete the clinical year in late July. They will receive academic credit from Allen College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination from the American Society for Clinical Pathology. The Allen College MLS program is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences: